He has won eight doubles and ten mixed doubles Grand Slam titles, and is the oldest man to have won a Grand Slam title. He won both men's doubles/mixed doubles titles at the 1999 Wimbledon tournament.

He has received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, India's highest sporting honour, in 1996–97; the Arjuna Award in 1990; the Padma Shri award in 2001 and its 3rd Highest Civilian Award the Padma Bhushan in January 2014.